Will the real Charlie Hebdo please stand up, because it isn’t me.

Here it is, I’m a bit uneasy about the slightly narcissistic way some of the the press are framing this as an “attack on free speech” as though those poor innocent men were someohow martyrs in the same way beheaded aid workers or journalists reporting on IS in the Middle East, or raped and murdered yazidis/Christians.
Not to mention the activities of Boko Haram.
Or the shooting of Mallala Yousafzai.

It wasn’t an attack on “free speech” either, or they would have picked a more august publication, such as Le Monde, but they instead scapegoated a tacky magazine who’s cartoons are a graphic representation of the all too oft forgiven spiteful mysogyny and bigotry of the western male liberal.

This was an attack on the west, by Islamists murderers ,who wish holy war, and I’d posit that they couldn’t really give two hoots(on larger analysis) about cartoons except it gives them a scapegoat.

We will only have a religious war if we join one, and it’s up to all moderates , particularly self confessed Christian ones , to stand up to nutjobs on their OWN side , show strength and leadership, and help Muslims overcome Islamism , because look at what it’s doing to thousands of innocents worldwide.
I’m not gifted with the insight to say how that should be done, or single out the cause(western imperialism blah blah) ….but unlike a lot of the soundbite warriors in the press, or blogosphere, I admit it.

And it’s a bit crass not to, IMO , while those poor souls are still barely cold.

So, who’s Charlie, the victims of IS in the Middle East, or the raped victims of IS and Boko Haram? The beheaded?
Where are the impromptu shrines to them?
The wounded white male , bigoted liberal commentariat aren’t.
They’re not Mallala.
They’re not Charlie.
And neither am I.